CHAPTER 25: EMMA GARNEY

"Oh, hello, Professor Garney," Professor Dumbledore said cheerfully. "I've just returned from Micksmeyer, and --"

"I know."

Dumbledore's smile faded when he saw the look on Garney's face.

"Emma?" He asked timidly. "Is everything all right?"

"Well, Albus, no." Professor Garney narrowed her eyes and folded her arms. "It's really not."

"Who are you going to kill?" Ron blurted out.

Garney's eyes flashed. "K-K-Kill?" She stuttered. "I'm not going to kill anyone."

"Professor Garney, along with several others, were assigned to the capture and possible execution of Oliver and Malicia Redenblue when they were caught." Dumbledore explained. "These people have been responsible for the deaths of over 100 innocent wizards and witches and 15 Muggles. However, they have not been located, so--"

"Professor Dumbledore!" Hermione piped up, "They're at Welsnurth! In Illinois!"

"Welsnurth?!" Garney looked taken aback. "In Frankfort, Illinois? Do you mean to tell me that the Redenblues are still in America?! We thought for sure they were in Italy."

"Well, they'd taken Italian alias names… I think they were Luno and Gradiccia di Formazaggio. Maybe they'd pretended to immigrate to the US and used false identities at the school."

"You know, you might be right!" Garney exclaimed. "I'd never heard anything about Professors Luno and Gradiccia di Formazaggio…" she tried to recall the names. "di Formazaggio… think I would have remembered a name like that. Although, who knows? They could be janitors!" she tried to laugh. Her laughter subsided as she turned back to Dumbledore. "On a more serious note, Albus, Draco Malfoy's been taken."

Dumbledore's eyes fell. "They're all right, then?"

"Yes."

"He'll be working with him."

"Most certainly."

"Their leader."

"Probably."

"What's going on?!" shouted a very confused Ron.

"DRACO'S FATHER'S GOING TO LEAD THE DEATH EATERS!" Harry said loudly, catching on.

"Exactly!" Emma Garney exclaimed, turning back to Dumbledore. "And… Chessa's helping!"

"Chessa…" Hermione hissed. "The ghost!"
Emma Garney's lip trembled. "How do you know about Chessa?"

"Well, she haunts Micksmeyer, and…"

"She doesn't just haunt Micksmeyer. The Road to Nowhere. Anywhere that there's a connection on the Road to Nowhere, there's Chessa."

"Excuse me, Professor?" Harry asked cautiously. "What do you mean by 'a connection'?"

"Well, Harry, I mean… I would have thought you'd have figured out the title by now…"

"I've been just a bit preoccupied," Harry mumbled, staring directly at Hermione, who blushed fiercely.

"Well, anyway, the Road to Nowhere is, well, a rather Commercial term. Only the owners of a copy of 'The Road to Nowhere' have a 'portal' to, well, anywhere. It's not a specific road, see. Just concentrate on where you want to go, follow the road, and in a very short while, you'll reach your desired destination."

"Really?" Hermione breathed. "I didn't know that when I bought it for him, I just --"

"Wait! You bought it?" Garney pointed at Hermione.

"Right."

"Then it's your book."

"No. It was a birthday gift for Harry."

"No… it's your book. Whoever purchases the book has the power. Harry didn't kill Voldemort, he just wounded him. You could have killed him by yourself, with this book. This book is one of the single-most powerful tools in the wizarding world." Garney looked serious. "It's not a toy, nor is it a gift."

"Could we share it?" Hermione croaked, too frightened to accept such a responsibility.

"Let's sit down, shall we?" Professor Dumbledore suggested, gesturing to a table.

"Professor Garney?" Hermione squeaked, taking a sip of butterbeer.

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"May I ask… a few… personal questions? For the -- you know, cause."

"Of course."

"Did you really know Harry when you were little?"

"Yes. I was ten when Harry was born. I went to his parents' wedding, but I don't remember that very well, so--"

"Who was there?" Hermione interrupted.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Who was there?" Hermione repeated.

"I -- I don't really remember…"

"Try… please."

"Erm… let's see, there was Sirius Black, of course, and Lily and James, and my family, and --" her eyes suddenly widened. "Oliver! Oliver and Malicia Redenblue!"

"Exactly as I thought!" Hermione cried. "Harry, in our third year, when we were examining that picture of your parents' wedding with Sirius in it? Those people standing behind him? They looked just like Ruby! I knew! I knew when I saw her!"

"Didn't I tell you she was clever?" Garney asked Dumbledore.

"Oh, I knew. We all know." Dumbledore smiled warmly. "Go on, Miss Holmes!"

"Well…" Hermione sighed, "Let's see here, If Oliver and Malicia Redenblue could use a spell to change their looks and don an accent, they could just pretend to be someone completely different, and evade the American and British Ministries. But -- why would they be at Harry's parents' wedding?"

"That," Garney cut in, "I can answer. Oliver's parents, Ursula and Vern --" (Harry immediately thought of Uncle Vernon) "Lived in London, and went to Hogwart's. They were in Slytherin House and after they graduated, turned to the Dark Side. This was before the rise of Lord Voldemort; he wasn't even born yet. Their son, Oliver, was brought up part of the dark side. He grew up to marry a woman named Malicia Garney."

Hermione gasped. "Your -- your relation?"

"Yes," Garney answered, "My aunt. The, erm -- bad seed."

"Which means that Ruby's your cousin?" Harry breathed.

"Yes… unfortunately. I haven't ever met Ruby, Oliver, or Malicia. My parents kept me far away from them. However, Malicia turned against her own brother, and after receiving a Christmas Card via Owl Post, she told Voldemort where my parents were; they'd mentioned it in the card. One night, Voldemort came to my parents' house and killed them. That very same year, Harry, he killed your parents, too."

"How did you escape?" Hermione asked.

"I was with yet another aunt, my mother's sister. Unlike what I've heard about Lily's sister and her husband, my Muggle family completely accepted us. That year, I went to Hogwart's. I learned Defense Against the Dark Arts and promised that I would never, ever go to the Dark Side."

"And you haven't… right?" Ron squeaked.

"Of course not!" Garney protested. "I've worked against them. I wanted to find my aunt and uncle and make sure they spent the rest of their lives in Azkaban; they were, in part, responsible for my parents' death."

"That's how I felt about Wormtail." Harry whispered.

"You'll be happy to know that Wormtail was captured this morning and is in court." said Dumbledore quietly.

"Oh, good!" Harry exclaimed.

"Well, everyone, I think it would be most wise for us to return to school. I believe you all have had quite an ordeal. We'll go back to my office and finish talking about this… it isn't safe to speak loudly here… even the walls have ears. But we must be swift yet cautious, for time is of the essence."